How many smartphones is enough?

How many phones is enough? It’s a question that is certainly on the lips of most people after American socialite Paris Hilton was snapped recently with threesmartphones.

Out and about for lunch in Beverley Hills, California, along with her pet Chihuahua, the multimillionaire heiress was seen casually carrying a trio of handheld devices.

Paris had what looked like the latest versions of Apple’s iconic iPhone, as well as a Blackberry. For what purpose is only left to speculation, but it certainly does beg the question if there is ever a need?

After all, the 33-year-old trendsetter certainly has a lot of sway with her fans and there are plenty of people who look to follow her when it comes to lifestyle choices.

Most smartphones these days are extremely powerful, capable of delivering the kind of performance previously only found on computers.

From keeping in touch with friends via social networks like Twitter and Facebook, watching movies via Netflix, listening to the latest hits courtesy of Spotify and working remotely through various apps, today’s smartphones can do it all.

Nevertheless, there may be a need to keep business and personal contacts separate, and while there are certainly devices that help make this easier, having two mobiles is, in some ways, a lot easier.

You are, for example, better able to distinguish between what is suitable for work and what is ideal for leisure – mixing up the two can sometimes land you in trouble and be a lot more problematic.

Smartphones have evolved to become one of the most dominant devices, transforming people’s daily routines in fundamental ways.

The marketing agency Tecmark reported in October last year that so central are they to what we do that the average person carries out 221 daily tasks via the gadgets.

“Smartphones are an easier way to access information and our friends through the Internet,” commented Managing director Richard Heyes at the time.

“‘For most of us, it’s now second nature. And certainly we’re not surprised to see this huge reliance on our handheld devices. But many people may not realise just how many times a day they check their phone or carry out a simple task on it.”